Twist of Fate
by Porkchop Sandwiches
Summary: No matter where Christian goes, despite his actions, fate seems to be leading him down a path of its own. Events and figures in his life are merely altered, if not completely unchanged. There's nothing he can do to stop it. AU/ set during third season.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, this is my first Nip/Tuck fanfic and it takes place during season three but in an alternate reality. Hope you guys like it.

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Christian saunters into the waiting room, the smell of his sharp cologne reaching even the farthest row of shaped noses. Every female eye remains on him as he walks past. His swagger is one of the few habits that remains from his prior occupation, one that's become such a part of him he doesn't even notice it anymore. As he walks down the hall the only smell he notices is the familiar medicinal one lingering from the rooms he passes. Near the end of the line of doors is one that holds a certain significance to him.

He removes his dark shades and rolls up his sleeves, ignoring the fact that the silk fabric will be imprinted with wrinkles. His tanned forearms show only evidence from the scorching Mexican sun, his platinum Rolex concealing the rest. Seventeen years is a long time for a lot of things. Seventeen years is a hell of a long time to be away from home with no word, card, or phone call to anyone. Well, there was one phone call made to Sean telling him he was coming back. He hasn't been back, or stepped foot on American soil, for seventeen years. After med school he went straight into business with Sean, just as planned. But after only a year the prospect of spending the rest of his life working behind the same four walls, with the same people, in the same location, became smothering. Not to mention Julia and Sean had their time monopolized by a new member of the family; a fact that seemed to sting his supposed happy lifestyle of screwing anyone with two X-chromosomes.

So he packed up his stuff and recklessly fled to Mexico. The only thing he left was a note on Sean's door explaining he was leaving indefinitely. And when he thinks about it now he realizes there was another phone call. When Sean discovered the note he immediately called him while he was still close enough to Miami for cell service. Sean wasn't angry and he didn't try to stop him, he only told Christian that if he ever did come back he would have a job waiting for him. And during that second phone conversation Sean lived up to his promise, overjoyed to hear his friend's voice.

Friends, he hasn't had many of those in the past seventeen years. When he arrived in Mexico he assumed his M.D. title would get him work faster than he could pickup chicks. But he soon discovered that without Sean's brain, his brawn wasn't that effective. And he found himself dealing with sharp objects of a different nature than scalpels. While his looks did not receive attention by any of the hospitals they did strike some glances from the women. The combination of his connections with them along with his ability to speak fluent Spanish and his medical background gained the interest of Escobar Gallardo, a notorious heroin dealer. Escobar was immediately drawn to his charisma and ways of persuasion. But what drew Christian to Escobar was the lure of quick and easy cash.

From there it seemed like life couldn't get any better. This new level of excess seemed to shroud any form of wealth he had experienced before. Staying up all night passing through night clubs, beaches, hot tubs and beds, as the work and play environment often intermingled. He only sampled his merchandise occasionally and convinced himself it was no more threatening than his penchant for tanning. He had more women than he knew what to do with, all of them golden bronzed, their hair in varied mocha shades. Sometimes he missed blondes, blue eyed and fair skinned. Not that there weren't any of those in his new home; it just wasn't the same. But then again there was always Eva. Eva was the niece of Escobar and one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes, or anything else, on, in, or around. She was tall, dark, curvy, and her honey brown hair fell to the middle of her back. She was wise to his lifestyle and reveled in it as much as he did. He convinced himself he loved her to the point of proposal; deciding to check his former ways at the altar. He was serious and he thought she was too. That was until he came home from work on too many occasions to find her strung out and with company. It was hard for him not to rip the engagement ring from her finger right then and there. But he knew he had to restrain himself when dealing with Escobar's little princess. So he kept up the guise of their upcoming nuptials, all the while preparing himself for his escape.

Slowly and painfully, he began to wean himself from the narcotics. He also started to distance himself from Escobar. The months leading up to when he would leave for good were spent with minimal sleep. Tossing and turning, he'd mull over just how sour his life had turned and how little he had to show for it. The night of his escape he packed very little in his alligator skin suitcase. He left in the middle of the night, sure not to leave any tracks or visible sign of his departure. After a certain point he was forced to take up on foot and later hitch hike his way to the exact place he is now standing.

Without another second's thought he swings the door open, his name hanging on the its sturdy oak frame. Inside his office is a splash of the eighties; his desk, chairs, even the slightly dusty framed pictures on the walls. The only thing different is a striking blonde, staring intently at one of the photos; oblivious to his presence.

_I knew Sean was fast. But a patient on my first day?_ He mulls over this just as his eyes scan her body. She looks young but with help could be hitting twenty nine for all he knew. She's wearing a pair of skinny jeans, the charcoal color making her bright red blouse and heels pop out even more. The rosy hue, however, isn't the only thing popping from her blouse.

"Oh, hi." She greets nervously.

"Dr. Christian Troy." He announces, firmly shaking her hand.

"Oh! I'm--" She begins with a flash of recognition.

"You are someone who has no need to be here. I don't see a flaw on you." He interrupts while stepping in closer.

"I--"

"You should take your money and buy a mirror because your skin isn't going to get any smoother."

He lifts his hand to run it down her arm, the space between them only a few inches. This is not average conduct for him, at least not to this degree or speed. But there seems to be something drawing him to this glowing woman in front of him. There's something in her brown eyes that is grabbing him by the throat. Not to mention the fact that after such intense and secretive traveling he is in no mood for a formal consultation.

"I--"

"Shh." He whispers as he aggressively closes the height difference with a kiss.

She slowly backs away to only reach the wall, which he uses to his advantage as he leans some of his weight against it. The logical part of her brain has apparently melted as her lips are in full consent. Trying to put up a small sign of reluctant resistance, she lifts her hands to give him a halfhearted push. But upon feeling his toned chest her own fingers seem to abandon her as well.

Christian on the other hand is guiltlessly enjoying himself. His euphoria almost has him missing the footsteps coming down the hall. But his honed street savvy hearing allows him to pull away before the room gains another person.

"Christian!" Sean exclaims, giving his friend a bear hug which he takes awkwardly. "I didn't even know you got in. It's so good to see you. Well, I see you've been catching up with Matilda."

"Matilda?"

"Yeah you know, my daughter." He says with a fatherly arm around her, unaware of the strange look on Christian's face.

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Please review and tell me what you think and if you want me to continue.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Yeah, so I had some free time and decided to upate this story I'd been neglecting. It's very different from the first chapter, sorry. This will probably be the tone for most of the chapters to come. I'll try to update soon, by next Friday for sure. By the way thoughts are in italics. Matilda and Amy belong to me!

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It only takes a few seconds for Christian to mask his true emotions, which are somewhere between guilt, disgust, arousal, confusion, and excitement. He merely cracks a bleached grin.

"Of course, Matilda." He says with feigned ease, flicking his eyes to her. "You're all grown up."

She gives him a sheepish smile and he mentally kicks himself for making that seem even remotely creepy; like a line. He can't help it; flirting is one of the few ways he knows how to communicate with women. _Flirting is not going to help me out of this one, no matter how much I want it to, no matter how beautiful she is. It's weird; she doesn't look much like Sean or Julia. _

"I know the years sneak up on you." Sean says, interrupting his thoughts. "She's graduating this year. Well, next year, but this school year. She's a senior, an assistant trainer at Jenny's Gymnasts, and has the best grade in her AP Calculus class."

"Dad, he's not a college recruit or anything." She jokes, elbowing him.

"Ouch, I'm still sore from that run this morning."

"You're such a wimp." She chides with another light jab to his side.

Sean laughs, his eyes brighter than Christian can ever remember. It's amazing to him to see a father and daughter in such a carefree relationship. It's much different from the upbringing he endured as a foster child. But the second that memory flashes into his mind, he pushes it right out. _Sean's dressing nicer. Tailored suit and those shoes like they're even designer. I guess the business is doing well. _

"You two seem close." Christian hears himself say. "But I guess that's more common with an only child."

"I'm not an only child. I have a baby sister, Amy." Matilda corrects.

"Sean, you and Jules had another kid! Congratulations!" Christian exclaims, patting Sean on the back.

"Well, thank you Christian. But, it's a little belated."

"Yeah I just call Amy my baby sister. She's actually sixteen." Matilda chuckles. "She hates it when I call her that. That's why I do it."

"Don't tease Amy," Sean warns unconvincingly. "Even though that's the least of her problems."

Christian opens his mouth to further question that statement when an old friend walks in the room. She's aged considerably since that last time he's seen her. Her blonde hair is slightly graying in places and her forehead shows new wrinkles. There are heavy circles under her eyes, like she hasn't been sleeping well. And when he looks at Sean he notices underneath his happiness he appears worn out too.

"Christian! I can't believe your really here! You look great!" Julia gushes, throwing her arms around him.

"It's good to see you too Jules." He says a little winded from the force of her embrace.

Looking past her shoulder he can swear he catches a glint of jealousy pass over Sean and Matilda's eyes. But he convinces himself he's seeing things.

"Oh Christian, you have to come over for dinner! We can all catch up." She says walking back over to her husband. "Maybe you could help Matilda with her Spanish."

"Yeah, and I can meet Amy." Christian adds.

But when he says this, Julia's chipper mood dims a bit.

"If she shows up." Julia says with a forced smile.

XXXXX

Christian raises his eyebrows as he fiddles with his silverware. There is an awkward silence in the McNamara's dining room, Matilda the only other person in the room. Julia comes in and out of the kitchen every once and a while to add something to the table and Sean is finishing up some laundry. _It smells amazing in here, like roast beef and…lilacs. God, I think this table is cherry wood. _

"So…Matilda, how's school?" He asks, trying to start some harmless chatter.

"It's school." She responds with an eye roll. "But seriously it's not too bad. We're only a month in. And I haven't failed any of my English tests yet. I have horrible reading comprehension."

"Same here. I hated English in high school. I hated it in College too. Do you know where you want to go?"

"No idea. But probably somewhere in state. You went to college with my dad, right?"

"Yeah, that's where I met him, you're mom too."

"My dad told me a lot about you when you were in med school together."

"I doubt any of its true." He remarks sarcastically.

"From what I can tell it is." She says with a smirk.

"Hey, is dinner ready?" Sean asks, taking a seat at the head of the table.

"Almost!" Julia yells from another room.

"It better be. America's Next Top Model comes on tonight." Matilda says.

"Yeah it's the new one under water." Christian comments; getting a surprised reaction from both of them. "What? Its hot chicks in bikinis that fight with each other, what's not to like?"

"Ooh, don't forget watching Tyra make an idiot of herself." Matilda adds.

"Yeah, she's such an arrogant bi--"

"Don't use that kind of language at the table." Julia cuts him off as she sets a steaming tray of roast beef down.

Christian rolls his eyes and gets a laugh from Matilda. Julia just ignores him as she leans over the meat. She begins slicing it when she accidently burns her finger on the hot plate.

"Shit." She exclaims.

"Don't use that kind of language at the table." Matilda chides, doing a perfect imitation of her mother.

"I do not sound like that!"

"Yeah, you kind of do," Christian agrees with a smile until he sees her disapproving expression. "In the best way possible of course."

"Of course." She says dryly as she takes a seat next to Matilda. "Honey, can you pass the broccoli?"

Sitting side by side, Christian notices just how different they look. Julia has an angular nose where as Matilda's is smaller and rounder. Matilda's hair is also more of a honey blonde to Julia's almost white blonde. _Matilda has more profound…features. They look real too._

"Christian," Sean pronounces as if he's repeating himself. "Potatoes?"

He shakes his head, fully satisfied with his serving of roast and broccoli. He hasn't had this kind of food in ages. He used to love Mexican food; not any more.

"So how are you?" Julia asks him.

"Great. Glad to be home." He says honestly.

"Anything exciting happen since you've been back?" She questions, sensing it may be too soon to ask what he was exactly doing across the border.

He chokes a little on the water he was trying to swallow. And he can't keep his eyes from darting to Matilda, who unfortunately notices. A blush creeps up her cheeks. He wipes his mouth and is in the process of saying no when someone storms in. Or really staggers in.

A short blonde with ripped jeans, smudged makeup, some "oh so badass" shirt with a deranged clown, and a spiked chocker, stumbles into the room. Her pupils are dilated and she reeks of alcohol. To make matters worse she lazily wipes her hand across her face, further smearing her black eyeliner and lipstick.

"Who are you?" She slurs, pointing to Christian.

"Christian. And you must be Amy."

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I would greatly appreciate reviews. Even if you thought it was crap. Please review :)


	3. Chapter 3

"The one and only." Amy seems to announce with both hands dramatically raised. "You a lawyer?"

By now she's moved closer to the table and is heavily balancing herself with the back of her father's chair. She clutches the tall wooden seat as if it were her best friend, which cannot be said for the sneer she shoots Matilda, as if her sitting there is annoying enough.

"No, I'm a doctor and you're dad's business partner." Christian corrects.

"Amy where have you been?" Julia asks with restrained anger. Christian may be like family but for right now he feels more like a guest to her.

"I was out, no biggie. I was at Kate's. Don't freak." She says lazily.

From the silence in the room Christian can clearly hear Julia's teeth grind. He's seen this look before, when she tries not to explode. Her hands are hidden underneath the table cloth but he can imagine them curled in a fist. _She may look fragile but she has an arm on her._ Christian considers, remembering the curves of her knuckles making contact with his jaw back in college. He'd gotten Sean in trouble for cheating off his Chemistry exam and even though Christian was the one with the "wandering eyes", they were both vulnerable for expulsion. _That took a lot of creative problem solving. _

"Don't Freak? We haven't seen you in three days!" Julia yells.

Matilda winces, her ear the closet to the heightened volume of Julia's voice. Christian notices her uncomfortably staring at her plate. _She's barely even looked at her sister._

"Shut up jerk!"

"Amy do not talk to your mother like that. Go to your room!" Sean commands, pointing to his left. "Expect to hear your punishment when I get up there."

"Like I'm going to listen to your sorry a…"

Her voice suddenly cuts off as her shoulders begin to shake. Her face pales a few shades as she slaps a hand over her mouth and runs down the hall. Her pleather boots can be heard squeaking until a door is opened and slammed shut.

"She's going to need help." Matilda mumbles, as if to herself, as she stands.

Julia makes a motion to stop her but Matilda gives her an assuring look before running down the hallway. The door is opened again, releasing brief sounds of retching, before being closed with slightly less anger. Julia shifts in her seat and pushes her plate to the side.

"Sorry Christian." Julia sighs. "I…we…"

"We're sorry. This wasn't exactly what we had in mind when we invited you over." Sean says with a forced lift in his tone.

"We'll at least she didn't puke on my new Armani." He says with a laugh, gaining an appreciative smile form both of them.

XXXXX

Christian slowly reaches the top of the stairs and passes a door with various _Slipknot_ posters. He can hear a heated conversation beyond the wall, mostly coming from a very pissed Julia. _Teenagers,_ he mentally sighs. Though the thought brings him back to why he's even up here. Julia and Sean had asked if he could check on Matilda while they dealt with Amy. He said he was happy to help, and he is.

He walks by a bathroom and closet to reach what he supposes is Matilda's room on the opposite end of the hall. There's nothing on this door but a fresh layer of white paint. Its ajar position allows music to flow out. From what he can tell it sounds like _Duran Duran_. He considers knocking, but _hell the door's open and she might not even here me._

So, he arrogantly whips the door open. Matilda's standing by her bed, her shirt only half way on. Christian glimpses a flash of pink lace and tight tan skin before she swiftly yanks her top down.

"Is barging into rooms your thing or something?" She questions in annoyance.

_If you're inside it is. This room is spotless. _He allows his eyes to travel around the lilac shaded room. Everything from the carpet to the walls to the bedspread is colored in a soft lavender hue. The bookshelves, which hold more gymnastic trophies and make up than books, are painted a pale eggshell. _Bed is made, closet seems to be color coordinated, desk is in order, and there's almost nothing on the floor,_ his OCD brain inspects.

"Sorry." He comments as if it were an afterthought. "Nice room."

"Thanks I guess." She says, still a little aggravated. "Want to sit?"

She crosses her arms as she says this, which brings his attention back to what she's unintentionally emphasizing. The v-neck cut of her pink Victoria Secret's t-shirt isn't helping either. But he sees the chair by her desk she's referring to and takes a seat.

"Are you okay?" He asks, again remembering the real reason why he's in her room.

"I'm fine. It's not the first time I've been hurled on. That's why I changed shirts." She explains, sitting on the edge of her bed. "That's what you're talking about, right?"

"Yeah…is this _Men at Work?" _He says, again noticing the quiet music.

"Yeah, there my favorite band."

"I saw them in Vegas in 86'."

"Really?!" She exclaims with a huge smile.

"They were amazing. Literally the best concert I've ever been to. Turn it up." He suggests.

She does so with a few clicks on her white iMac as the sound of the Australian singers fills the room.

"Christmas present," She says when she notices him staring at her computer. "Last year from my dad."

"So it's a 2004?"

"Yep. I said I'd be happy with a Dell, but he insisted, so I didn't argue." She says with a smile. "I had a Dell before…but there was…an accident."

"An accident?"

"Well, Amy lit it on fire." She clarifies casually. "She was pretty messed up on some pills she stole from my dad. But she's not like that…not all the time. Let's talk about something else."

"Didn't J…your mom say you needed help with your Spanish homework?"

"Pssh, I'm not doing homework right now." She says leaning back on her elbows. "I can't believe you really want to help me either."

"Yes I do." He halfway lies, trying to restrain his mind from wandering to her lying on her bed. "What level are you on?"

She holds up two fingers, rolls to the side and grabs a text book from a small table. She briefly sits up to hand it to him before plopping herself back down.

"We're on chapter three. I have a test in two days. Could you quiz me on some of the vocab?"

"Sure." He says, flipping to the correct page listing body parts. "Legs?"

"Las piernas?"

"Correct. Feet?"

"Los pechos?"

"No," He responds with a laugh at her mistake. "It's los pies."

"Pie?" She asks pronouncing it like the dessert as she sits up to look at him.

"Well you're not saying it right, but yes." He says, grinning.

"What's los pechos then?"

"Uh…breasts." He answers, attempting to keep his eyes off hers. "I'm sorry about before."

"What? Before when?" she asks, genuinely confused.

"In my office."

"Sure." She says unconvincingly, staring him right in the eyes.

There's a playful smile on her face that he can't read. _Is she enjoying catching me in a lie or…did she enjoy herself before? She did kiss back. Did she know who I was then?_

He opens his mouth to ask just this when he sees Julia open the door from the corner of his eye. She looks even more stressed than when he saw her just an hour ago. But the second she sees them "studying" her mood slightly lifts.

"Hey, not to break up the study session, but is it ok if I talk with Matilda alone?"

"Sure, I need to go anyway."

"Can you help me tomorrow?" Matilda asks.

"You could come over for dinner again!" Julia energetically suggests.

"Uh, then I guess we can study after dinner."

"Great!" Both women say in unison.

Christian gives them a puzzled smile, feeling a weird vibe in the room.

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Yay I made my deadline. Well the deadline I created anyway. Please review!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

The hot liquid stings Christian's tongue like an overheated tanning bulb, sure to numb his taste buds for days. But instead of pulling the Styrofoam cup away, he proceeds to drink through the pain. This semi-masochistic treatment is his attempt to burn the steamy dream, still as fresh as coffee beans, from his mind. Centerfold-worthy images of Matilda twinkle on and off in shades of red behind his eyes; images of her spread across her bed with her eyes on him and his hands on her. There was a montage of different excuses of why this wasn't wrong, all spoken through her gorgeous smirk. But every scenario was shut off abruptly as Sean stormed into his daughter's room to strangle him. Christian had woken up sweaty, unsatisfied, and despite himself, afraid of the imagined rage in his friend's face. A cold shower did nothing more than slightly cool him as he stepped out of his new apartment to the simmering Miami heat, only to get in his orange Lamborghini and drive to work.

A greater part of a work day and three cups of coffee later, Christian walks into the room adjacent to the surgical one. Amid the shelves storing medications is a woman in tight black dress pants, blazer, and Louis Vuitton stilettos. She has one of the transparent doors propped open with her side, the glass pressing against her nicely. _Very nicely, _Christian considers as he strolls closer. _She's hot, knows how to dress, and works here. She's the perfect thing to get my mind off…_

"Matilda." Christian greets, immediately recognizing her as she turns. "I thought your sister was the one who pops pills."

"Ah, so you're cute _and _funny." Matilda states dryly. "I volunteer after school. That's why I was in your office yesterday; I was supposed to clean it before you got here. But _somebody _came home early. Speaking of early…"

As she says this she takes his cup and casually samples the brewed drink. _She just stole my coffee. She just stole my coffee. She just stole my coffee and I don't even care. _

"Mmm…black, nice," She comments, handing it back to him. "I had to get up super early and my dad hadn't turned on the coffeepot yet."

"Why'd you have to get up early?"

"Oh, school stuff." She says offhandedly, returning to her stocking duties. "So when's your next patient?"

"_Matilda!"_ A voice scolds, one very familiar to Christian. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from those?"

Sure enough, Liz walks past Christian to playfully slap Matilda on the arm. Looking to her right she sees Christian and gives him a fleeting sneer before smiling. _Good to see you too Lizzy_.

"Hey Christian, nice to have you back." She speaks with a decent amount of excitement, hugging him briefly. "This girl drives me crazy when it comes to arranging the meds."

"What do you mean?" He asks; glad to have the awkward welcome over with.

"She just _has _to put them in Alphabetical order. It's so…"

"Efficient." The two of them cut in at the same time.

"I use to do the same thing when I was here." He interjects, shooting Matilda an understanding smile. "And I see we both like to torment Lizzy."

"That's not true. We usually get along great. We tell each other everything, right?" She says lovingly, nudging her.

"Yeah, we're like that guy's hands who got super-glued together." Matilda chimes in.

"You mean the one who got caught cheating on his wife…" Liz begins.

"So she glued his hands together." Matilda finishes as they both laugh hysterically. "She used the really strong stuff you can only buy at hardware stores. He had to walk the _whole_ way here and my dad had to take his wallet out of his pocket for him."

"Sounds like a great story," Christian comments, feeling slightly jealous of their close bond.

"Matilda, you're going to be late for gymnastics. You're not even dressed!" Liz exclaims; her laughter subsided.

"Yes I am," Matilda states, flashing her blazer open to reveal blue, skin hugging spandex. "It's underneath my clothes."

_Great, now I'm thinking about her with Britney Spears in the background. I'm going to have that shitty music in my head for the rest of the day, not to mention a whole new theme for tonight's dreams. I can already see the stretching now. _

"Are you sure you don't want me to finish up?" Christian hears Matilda ask.

"No you go ahead; you have rug rats to deal with." Liz assures her.

"Thanks Liz." She says, hugging her before turning to Christian. "See you at dinner. Or I should say almuerzo."

She hurries out, her heels clanking against the floor. _It's cena_, _almuerzo is lunch_, he mentally corrects. _She definitely needs to bone up…I mean…study for her test._

"She has to teach a group of bratty kids how to do handstands. I wouldn't trade places with her," Liz mutters before beaming. "She's a good kid."

_Kid? Kid? God Lizzy, just gouge my eyes out and set my hair on fire. That would probably feel a hell of a lot better than this._

"I can do this," Christian offers, picking up a bottle of pills.

"Wow, how helpful of you." Liz remarks mockingly. "How very _unlike_ you. Is this a new Christian Troy?"

"Slow down Lizzy. I'm just helping out Matilda, not you." He says, trying to busy himself with the simple white containers.

XXXXX

Christian knocks on the front door while looking over his shoulder out of habit. Being in his prior line of work required him to literally watch his back at all times. Competing dealers didn't appreciate their turf messed with, as if they were dogs marking their territory with guns and blades rather than urine. Escobar wasn't easily intimidated and Christian would go where he was told. These orders got him a pretty deep knife wound, but luckily it healed well and left no more than a two inch purpled scar along his shoulder blade.

_I feel ridiculous, _he sighs, realizing his unnecessary paranoia. The only people behind him are some kids playing in a front yard a few houses down. They're running around, trying to catch the last of the season's fireflies. The sun is beginning to settle in the sky, coloring it a pale orange and allowing some October weather to slightly chill the air. _What's taking so long? _He lifts his hand to jab the doorbell when the door flings open.

"Sorry, I forgot I was the only one here." Matilda apologizes, stepping back as he lets himself in.

"The only one here? What happened to dinner?" Christian asks, seeing the dining room table empty. "Am I early?"

"No; dinner kind of got cancelled. My mom had to fly out last minute to take care of my grandmother; she won't be back 'til next week. Uh, dad is on a run and Amy is…well, who the hell knows where she is?" She explains. "Mom told me to tell you she was sorry and she'll cook you whatever you want next week. But…between you and me…I wouldn't expect another family meal before Thanksgiving."

"Why's that?" He asks with a laugh.

"Mom likes to slack off on cooking when we don't have company. She's also pretty busy. She's a trainer at the YMCA and she works kinda random hours. I cook my dad dinner and we usually end up eating in the kitchen. You can join us. I have some salmon and asparagus on the stove right now. Oh, the salmon!"

She rushes off to the kitchen as Christian follows at a more leisurely pace. Family portraits dot the walls in color coordinated, smiling memories. It seems as if they were done annually when Matilda and Amy were still young enough for plastic clips in their hair and puffy-sleeved dresses. Later pictures show braces and the arrival of makeup. The most recent photo appears to be more candid, with the family of four at the beach. Their windblown hair and pink sunned cheeks suggest it was a real beach and not a backdrop. Most of them seem to be happy, except for Amy who's wearing a pout louder than her drippy out of place purple eyeliner. The last framed picture is an older one, obviously so because of Christian's inclusion. _That's me. _He points through the glass at a younger version of himself. He has one arm around Julia and the other around Sean as the three of them stand in front of their newly purchased house; _this house. This must have been taken right before I left._

"Did you get lost?" Matilda yells from the room ahead.

He ignores her comment as he continues to stare at the image in front of him. _I don't look that different. I look sexy, but I look pretty damn sexy now too. It would be easy to identify me from this picture alone. She knew who I was when I kissed her; when she kissed me back._

He walks into the kitchen, ready to finally bring this topic up.

"Hey Christian." A sweaty Sean greets.

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Yes! It took me forever to update this and I'm sorry. Since I'm out of school now there should be more updates, key word is should :) I really would like to hear what you guys thought of it! Thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

Previously on Twist of Fate…

He ignores her comment as he continues to stare at the image in front of him. _I don't look that different. I look sexy, but I look pretty damn sexy now too. It would be easy to identify me from this picture alone. She knew who I was when I kissed her; when she kissed me back._

He walks into the kitchen, ready to finally bring this topic up.

"Hey Christian." A sweaty Sean greets.

**Chapter 5**

Christian's almost inaudible sigh is the only slip he makes to let on how frustrated he is from being interrupted yet again. _At this rate I'll never know what the hell she was thinking when she kissed me_, he considers though despite this, flashes his trademark smirk.

In the short time that's passed since he was last outside, the sun has completely disappeared, giving the chrome reflective surfaces of the kitchen a calming effect on his nerves. He thrums his fingers against the cool slate of the counter and nods to Sean in a welcoming gesture.

"Good run?" Christian asks.

"Yeah, I got in four miles today," Sean responds, still a little out of breath. "It was nice, almost nobody else on the beach."

"Because it's _October_," Matilda states, handing Sean a bottle of water. "You're taking a shower, right?"

"Do I have enough time?"

"This won't be done for another ten to twelve minutes. That is, of course, if I manage not to burn it again."

"Again?" Christian asks in amusement, raising an eyebrow.

"Matilda has a tendency to get distracted," Sean explains lovingly, setting his bottled water down. "I'm going to jump in the shower. Christian, _you're_ in charge."

He finishes off this playful instruction by pointing from his best friend to his daughter before leaving the room. Christian wishes the thoughts festering in his mind could just as easily walk out in a pair of athletic shorts. But he tries to think about something, anything else, besides being, as Sean put it, "in charge" of Matilda.

This isn't too hard once he notices the smell of the delicious food being prepared. _I used to cook salmon all the time. I think she's even using the same seasoning, _he muses. And with the sole intent of trying to catch a stronger waft of the aroma, he nears the stove, stopping only when he realizes how close he is to her. She's in arms length, looking adorably domestic with a pink polka dot apron draped over a black top and jeans. The illumination above the stove is soft, as is the lighting glowing from the steel fixtures hanging above the island, which seem to only highlight Matilda's beautiful face. _Especially that nose of hers and those cheek bones_, his plastic surgeon side thinks along with an abashed male admirer side. _She's sweet to cook dinner for her dad. I don't know many seniors in high school that would do that_. _Look at those lips. _His eyes travel farther up to see her green ones noticing his all too obvious staring. Acting on his trained suave demeanor, he arrogantly leans back on the island, propping an elbow on the counter.

"Food smells good."

"Thanks," Matilda speaks with a puzzled yet amused expression. "Want something to drink?"

"What do you have?" He asks, wishing he hadn't once she steps away.

_Not that anything was going to happen, because nothing is going to happen. Nothing else is going to happen. I can't do that to Sean._

"Orange juice, cranberry juice, milk, Corona Extra, white and red wine," she lists, looking to him for an answer.

"White wine would be nice," he answers with a smile.

She smiles back and his eyes dart away, studying the frying pan as if it were the most interesting thing in the room. _Like I really want to be looking at this fish, _he inwardly scoffs as he eyes stay on the salmon. The seasoned fish is sizzling, pink flesh sizzling, _sizzling_.

Like the swift pop of a greased skillet, his mind jumps to his kitchen in Mexico. He'd come home early that Valentine's Day morning, two in the morning, bearing a bouquet of purple flowers and what he'd been told by an associate was some amazing blow. Eva had spent the past few days sulking and being ornery, but he knew he'd be able to change that. It was Valentine's Day, and if he knew one thing about Eva, it was that she could never say no to some good blow.

So he strolled into the kitchen, in the hopes of having a warm-up scotch, to see his recently pissed fiancé all too happy with Rico, another dealer he'd become semi-friends with. She was the first to see him, as her position on the counter had her facing Christian, while Rico's lips were seemingly clamped to her neck. He had been flooded with fantasy after fantasy of grabbing Rico by his overly gelled hair and slamming his face onto the searing stove to watch the smugness burn from his face, from his flesh. But when the fantasy cleared, he saw a distinct smirk play on her lips as she took her hand to run it through Rico's slimy hair, his engagement ring shining on her finger like an ever-present reminder of his prison. Break off the engagement and uncle Escobar would kill him. He was as screwed as her. _Or so I thought._

"Christian?" Matilda repeats, gaining his attention by swinging his requested wine in front of his face.

He takes it, grateful to have his mind off his witch of an ex, glad to be rid of his seedy past, and happy to even be alive. As he sips the cold fermented liquid, he notices a similar glass in Matilda's hand.

"Does your dad let you drink?" Christian asks, a little teasingly.

"Yeah, I only do it occasionally. Plus, I think that's the least of what you should worry about my dad finding out about," She retorts with equal playfulness.

"Are you referring to your secret wild child?"

"No," She chuckles at the accusation. "Amy rebels enough for the both of us. I'd say the worst things I've ever done would be burning a handful of dinners…and well, you know, yesterday in your office."

"Which I apologized for. I had no idea you were Sean's daughter. And…you didn't know who I was either, right?"

"I knew who you were." She says with a stinging straightforwardness that abruptly halts their banter. "But you were so aggressive. I'd seen pictures of you before but…I felt some weird pull to you. I don't know why. Maybe it's because you're the infamous Christian Troy. From what I've heard about you, you're like the devil…only hotter."

"I usually don't burn people's souls either," He states dryly, unable to think of anything else.

"You want to hear something sick?" She asks, with a step towards him.

"What?"

"I think I may actually like you." She says slowly before blurting, "We like the same music, the same TV shows, the same wine; we're neat freaks, health freaks, brand whores, and I'm pretty sure…we're both attracted to each other."

"You met me yesterday," He speaks with hesitance. "But I was thinking the same thing."

"Well, that's out in the open."

"It is." Christian unnecessarily confirms.

"So," She says awkwardly.

"So."

"So."

"That smells great," Sean speaks loudly, stepping into the kitchen.

Matilda turns to see her miraculously unscathed salmon, a nice toasted color in its skin. She switches the stove off and reaches for a stack of plates from a high shelf she's too short for.

"I got it," Christian announces, accidentally brushing her cheek.

With her back to him, she tries to busy herself with dishing out their food, hoping the color in _her_ skin will fade.

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Yes, it's finally out in the open :) I don't know about you guys, but I'm not a big fan of the whole I-like-you-and-you-like-me-but-we-don't-ever-talk-about-it thing when it's played on too long, like Clark/Lana in Smallville. So anyway, please, please tell me what you think of this chapter! It would mean a lot to me :)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I decided to continue this story after a two-year hiatus, even though the show is off the air and I don't even know if anyone reads Nip/Tuck Fanfiction anymore. The idea for this story has not left me alone, so here we are. The first 5 chapters were in Christian's close third person point of view, but this one centers on Matilda. Later chapters will also show the thoughts of Liz, Sean, Julia, and possibly some surprise cameos. A big theme in this story is how characters will meet each other no matter what kind of different choices they make in the alternate universe. Christian is a bit OOC, but he has changed a lot from his rough experience in Mexico. Anyway, I hope you like it and review :)**

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Previously on Twist of Fate…

"I think I may actually like you." Her words drizzle slowly from her lips like a chef applying glaze over a gourmet cut of fish. Then everything pours out. "We like the same music, the same TV shows, the same wine. We're neat freaks, health freaks, brand whores, and I'm pretty sure…we're both attracted to each other."

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Matilda swears she sees his eyes looking back at her in line at the cafeteria. For a second, the hoodie-wearing freshman has Christian's fish tank blue eyes, liquid-looking and bright even in shitty public school fluorescent lighting. But, when she turns from her table of friends, they seem to transform back to some nondescript hazel. Biting down on a grape, she tries to convince herself that she isn't going crazy. The day before, she was positive she'd caught a glimpse of his white teeth from someone at the water fountain outside of her third period Home Economics class. Damn, if it were possible, she'd literally just screw those freakishly pearl-shaded rows of enamel in his mouth. It was like he had some lifetime contract with Crest, for god's sake. She didn't even want to get herself started thinking about anything below that angular jaw line of his. She blamed everything on her confession three weeks earlier. She'd actually told Christian she liked him. Even worse, he'd admitted to liking her too. He's forty-years-old, has known her dad since their freshman year of college, and sketched off to Mexico for seventeen years doing who knows what. Oh, and yeah, he's also kind of her godfather.

Throwing away her half-eaten homemade chicken and almond salad, she wishes she had more Tums in her purse. She's felt a variety of levels of nausea for the last three weeks, going anywhere from acid reflux-ish to almost needing to vomit. Christian had eaten dinner with them only twice at the insistence of her dad, and they hadn't talked at all. By the time she sits in the back row of her English class, she remembers her promise to go into work in the afternoon to feed the fish. The guy who usually did it was visiting family in Ohio. Plus, her dad and Christian were working on a major bypass surgery back-to-back with matching double mint twin tummy tucks for a pair of middle-aged identical twin sisters on their way to celebrate their forty-fifth birthday on a Disney cruise. Christian and her dad had also recently bought some new expensive flame angelfish that needed special food. She felt a new ripple of queasy nerves in her stomach, and wished she could flake out last-minute. But, doing that would only stress her out even more. Sometimes it sucked being the good McNamara daughter.

"Shit." She stands on her tiptoes, pinched fingers easing out crumbs of some of the most god-awful smelling stuff into the large aquarium. Even in three and half-inch heels, the tank is barely in reach. She hears the door to the office open, but is too concentrated to turn.

It's silent for a couple of minutes until someone laughs. "It's like watching a blonde midget try to play craps."

She rotates her body towards the door, scowling a little. Christian's wearing scrubs, covered except for his face and ungloved hands. His grin is too attractive to be annoying.

"I hate short jokes."

He shrugs, arrogantly unaffected. "Sorry."

There's more silence. It's quiet for so long, she's really hoping she doesn't hurl right into the glass rectangle filled with water, scales, and tiny, unblinking eyes.

Stepping forward, he swipes the plastic cylinder for her loose hold and begins doing her job for her.

She lets her hands rest by her sides. "Aren't you supposed to be in surgery?"

"One of the double mint twins is having some existential bullshit meltdown or something. Sean's giving her a heart-to-heart." He rolls his eyes.

She smiles to herself to hear him use her own nickname for the two. "I bet it's weird starting back here after not doing it for so long. What were you doing across the border anyway?"

"This and that," he says. Before she can ask anything else, he says, "Listen, I have an ethical dilemma for you. Let's say a woman feels self-conscience about being in a bikini because she's spent too much time eating Haagen-Dazs and not enough on the elliptical. Her twin jumps on the idea of plastic surgery, goes through the consultation and prep work, but starts backpedaling, saying her and her sister shouldn't have the tummy tucks because her sister will always look better than her anyway. What would you do?"

She thinks it over, amused with his animated hand gestures. "I'd probably feed the whiney one some line about not needing to live in someone else's shadow, tell her she's a strong independent woman, but doing this with her sister will be...a great bonding experience and help her in her journey...for self-discovery. Or some crap like that."

He raises his eyebrows, seeming to ponder with his gaze on the ceiling. "That's damn good."

"You know, breaking doctor-patient confidentiality is pretty illegal, right?"

He smirks. "Not if you don't tell anyone."

"I guess you could say that about a lot of illegal things." She's staring at him, uncontrollably leaking some pent-up _Lolita_ fantasies that have struggled to bob up from the surface of the water for weeks. Despite herself, she says, "If only the door were locked."

He balks with his mouth in an upturned gape. And she can feel herself step forward.

"Christian, Sean needs your help," Liz says. "Judith is hardly speaking to him now."

"On it, Lizzy."

As he strides out of the room, Matilda looks to Liz, trying to gauge what her friend had heard. Only her eyes show above her surgical mask, making it too hard to really tell. Even if her entire face were bare, it wouldn't do much good since she trials Christian as soon as he is out of sight. Snapping the lid back on the food, she hopes Liz didn't hear anything.

With her task done, she considers going home until she realizes she'd driven her dad to work and needs to give him a lift back. They're supposed to pick out a birthday present for her mom on the way. Sighing, she digs out her _Grapes of Wrath_ novel from her purple Lilly Pulitzer flowered backpack. She reads five pages before giving up and looking up Spark Notes on her smart phone. Spark Notes is what she really needs now: something that won't put her to sleep, but will keep her mind off the slutty things that had just leapt from her mouth like a man-hungry shark. After eight chapters of summaries and analyses, she leisurely makes her way to the front lobby to wait. Half an hour or so later, Christian waltzes out in his usual designer clothes.

She's sitting in the secretary's high-backed swivel chair, and he stops to lean across the desk. "Thanks for the advice. Worked like a charm."

Looking up from her phone, she smiles. "Glad I could help."

He leans closer. "Playing angry birds?" He snaps it away before she can even think to feel guilty about not doing homework. "You've only opened three levels and they all have one star. What is wrong with you?"

She moves to grab her iPhone back as he laughs and sporadically moves his thumb across the screen. Instead of reaching the phone, she brushes the sliver of wrist above his sleeve. It feels good to touch him again. And she's not nauseous at all. She's so wrapped up in laughing that she doesn't notice Liz watching them from a few feet away, or her worried wrinkles on her forehead.

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**Review :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: First I'd like to say thank you to Emmettluver2010 for the review. I had about half of this written, and the words of encouragement inspired me to read over and finish this chapter. This one follows Liz and how she sees/interprets Christian and Matilda's relationship. I tried to make her in character even though I don't watch this show as nearly as much as I did when I started writing this. Next chapter will most likely return to Christian's thoughts. Read away!**

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Previously on Twist of Fate…

Matilda moves to grab her iPhone back as Christian laughs and sporadically moves his thumb across the screen. Instead of reaching the phone, she brushes the sliver of wrist above his sleeve. It feels good to touch him again. And she's not nauseous at all. She's so wrapped up in laughing that she doesn't notice Liz watching them from a few feet away, or her worried wrinkles on her forehead.

**Chapter 7**

Liz doesn't like labels. Labels are used to hurt people, and she doesn't enjoy slandering or objectifying anyone, despite her feelings towards them. She's a divorced single lesbian, all of which are frequently demeaned into cruder and uglier terms. But, after only a year of working with Christian Troy, she wasn't shy about labeling him an arrogant womanizing asshole. When he left the practice unannounced to leave Miami, she was ecstatic. Sean initially had some trouble getting the business to run with only one surgeon, but he quickly adjusted and collected a long list of patients.

Over the past seventeen years, she grew closer to Sean and the entire McNamara family, especially the funny, hardworking, and patient Matilda. Why, Matilda's practically her younger sister. She told Liz everything. Liz heard about Matilda's first kiss when the girl was thirteen, giggling about a boy in her algebra class as her and Liz shared a banana split. At the beginning of Matilda's sophomore year of high school, she had confessed of going farther with her boyfriend of seven months, the sixteen-year-old blushing in her satin blue Cinderella costume at a fairly boring company Halloween party. She knew about Matilda's sprained ankle last year four days before her parents, when she tried to stop Amy from driving off in Julia's brand new BMW. And she'd even been confided in about Matilda's first time with her boyfriend Seth who'd she'd been dating for almost a year, the awkward details sputtering out between twitching and shifty eyes after Matilda had accidentally drank too much wine at dinner. She also witnessed Matilda's decision to break up with Seth three months later, near the end of her junior year of high school, because in a somewhat surprise twist of genders, he had become too clingy. Liz knows she can be a little overprotective. So, she ignores the warning lights zigzagging her pulse like a frenzied heart monitor when she sees Matilda and Christian flirting.

For an entire month, she doesn't comment on the amount of time they spend talking and laughing around the office in the afternoons Matilda volunteers after school, which become more and more frequent. She doesn't question Matilda when the younger girls' eyes focus too much on Christian from across the room or that she smiles more when anyone mentions him. Liz bites her tongue, hoping this is a passing attraction.

This hope seems to drift farther from reality when she walks in the office kitchen. Christian is holding an unopened container of yogurt above Matilda's head as she strains her arm to reach it. He's grinning. She's almost dying laughing.

Liz stops by the door, far enough to remain unnoticed.

"Christian." Matilda sounds like she's scolding him, swatting the air.

"Haven't you heard that you need to be this tall to eat Yoplait?" He waves the small, white container back and forth.

Matilda jumps up slightly, losing her balance and steadying herself with a hand on his chest. He finally lowers his arm to offer her the yogurt. "You know, I heard being a dwarf is a good thing when you're a gymnast."

She playfully grabs the chilled dairy product, keeping a palm against the front of his button-up. The touch becomes more of a caress as she says, "Gymnasts aren't just short. We're flexible too."

Liz wants to slap Matilda over the head. Instead, she bustles inside while pretending to read the patient chart in her hands. Even in her peripheral vision she catches them hurriedly scamper apart like interrupted cockroaches. She grabs her left over grilled chicken breast and green beans from the refrigerator and walks out of the room just as quickly as she came in.

XXXXXXXX

Hours later, Liz is washing her hands in the girls' bathroom, looking forward to driving home to her couch and the ten o' clock news. She's mentally reciting the alphabet as she always does when cleaning her hands, when Matilda walks into the bathroom.

Matilda steps back. "Hi," she says. After a pause, she shakes her head. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone else. I thought you already left."

She smiles. "I wish. I still have some small things to do before I get to leave. What's a busy girl like you staying here so late?"

Matilda plays with the tips of her hair. "I just got caught up with some filing. Then we decided to go out to dinner afterwards, so I worked on, or really tried to work on a paper in my dad's office."

Liz's smile brightens. "Aww, you and Sean are having a daddy-daughter dinner?"

She seems to take a quick a breath and shut her mouth. "Well, Dad is pretty busy, so I'm grabbing some food with Christian."

Liz's entire face sours. "Just the two of you? Alone?"

Matilda raises a recently plucked blonde eyebrow. "Yeah. I mean, it's just Christian, not like a vampire or a Jehovah's Witness or something."

She rips a paper towel from the automated machine. "I think those would both be safer alternatives."

Matilda stares at her for a moment, maybe waiting for a punch line. "Are you feeling okay? You've seemed in a bad mood for a while."

It warms Liz to hear Matilda concerned, and she can't seem to get the right words out. "I'm fine. I just think…I'd like to see you enjoying your senior year with your friends more and spending less of it trapped in here."

"I like working here." Matilda sweetly touches Liz's arm. "Plus, you're my friend. No worries, Lizzy."

Liz's jaw nearly clicks from the pressure she uses to tighten her teeth together. "What did you just call me?"

Matilda blushes, moving away slightly. "Sorry, Christian says it all the time. He said you liked the nickname. I should probably go."

"Matilda," Liz says sternly. "I wouldn't believe much of what he has to say. Please remember that."

She nods with an unreadable expression. "Goodnight."

Liz heaves two crumbled paper balls in the trash can, wishing she'd said more, knowing who she needs to talk to next.

XXXXXXXX

"Come in." His voice is muffled, probably with food.

Stepping inside, Liz closes the door behind her as Sean takes another hearty bite of a salad that Liz is positive Matilda whipped up for him. The folder for tomorrow morning's consultation lies open on his desk.

Sean gives her a polite, welcoming smile. "What can I do for you, Liz?"

Her smile is thin. "Sean, I need to tell you something."

His fork is forgotten, posture straightening, attention honing in on her. He gestures for her to sit across from him. "Is everything alright?"

"I'll stand, if that's okay." She clears her throat. "Sean, how are you and Christian doing?"

Some tension seems to ease from his shoulders. "How are we doing?"

"I mean, are the two of you as close as you were? Are you spending much time together outside of work?"

"I wouldn't say our relationship is exactly as it was. He's been gone a long time, and it will take a while to rebuild what we had. But, Christian isn't shy about visiting. When you mention it, well, Christian seems to be either here or my house. Why?"

She tries to tell him gently. "I think Christian might have some ulterior motives for coming over so often, maybe building a relationship with a different McNamara."

He squints, his face crinkling in puzzlement. "I'm not quite sure I know what you're getting at."

"Why are Christian and Matilda going out on some dinner date?"

He seems slightly offended. "Liz, it's not a date. Julia is out of town and there's isn't a lot of food in the house, so I offered to take them both out, until I realized I still had some work here. Christian was generous enough to pay and give her a ride home."

"And you think that's wise?"

He's still wearing the same look of confusion. "Do you have a problem?"

"Sean, they've been flirting, practically circling each other like a couple of cats in heat for nearly a month around here."

Sean chuckles. "Christian and Matilda? My Matilda? Liz, that's crazy. Christian just got back in town and Matilda is merely being friendly because she knows he doesn't have a lot of friends, and they happen to have a lot of things in common. Is that really a crime?"

"No, that's not a crime." She sighs. "But unless you'd like to walk in on something that is a crime, I'd suggest you pay a little more attention."

"Liz, you're jumping to conclusions," Sean says.

"Alright, but just do me a favor, and keep an eye out." Her tone is friendly, but firm. "I know we both care a lot about Matilda."

"Sure thing, Liz."

She swears the ten o'clock news will watch as tame as the home shopping network after this mess of a day.

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**A/N: Reviews would be awesome :) **


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